Deadly Little Secret
by Storyteller xx
Summary: Her life has spun a drastic turn. After begin cast aside by her father, Bella Swan thirsts for attention, but on her quest for acknowledgement she makes all the wrong choices and ends up trying to conceal a deadly little secret.
1. Chapter 1: Changes

I never used to act so out of place, so rebellious.

I guess I changed as a person the year I began High School. Charlie, Renee and I had just moved to Forks after Charlie was offered a promotion as Chief of Police in Forks.

I didn't have many friends back at Phoenix so I didn't put up a fight leaving.

That was the old Bella; taciturn, awkward and geeky.

When I moved to Forks, I just blended in with all the other outcasts.

A novel was my best friend; I always carried one in my purse. I didn't have my own story to live in so I turned to fictional characters to fill the empty place in my life.

Then, one day of ninth grade, our English teacher paired us with another student to write a joint essay on a particular book.

I was paired with a shy looking red head, Victoria Sutherland. She seemed innocent enough, but word was she had a bit of a reputation, so I kept quiet and only spoke to her when spoken to, thinking she was so intimidating.

The novel he passed us was a Kathy Reich's crime classic. She groaned when she saw the book, and I forgot my place and enthusiastically expressed my passion for her works. I went on about the different variations she used to solve crime, all the while she stared intently at me.

When I was done I blushed.

"You know your crime stuff don't you?" She smiled.

"My dad is Chief of Police here, so yeah I do know my crime stuff." I responded shyly.

"He's _Chief?_" She said in disbelief to which I nodded. "Wow! You could get away with anything!"

"Not really, he's pretty strict." I admitted.

"No, I mean legally. Do you honestly think he'd let his own daughter be charged for anything, let her have a mark against her name?" She said eyes bright.

"I guess not. I've never thought of it like that."

We became fairly good friends, but I still kept my good girl persona.

Then, one night a year later I came home, tossed my purse on the kitchen table and called out to Renee. She stayed at home monitored the house while Charlie was out monitoring the town.

"Mum!" I called to her sleepily. I hadn't had a good night sleep the night before; the possums were scratching at the roof again. There was at least a family living up there now.

"Mum!" I called again. Presuming she'd fallen asleep upstairs, I trudged up the stairs to her room. "Mum! I'm home!" I called a final time.

I opened the door to her bedroom and found it empty.

On her bed a scrap piece of paper lay creased.

Curiously, I walked over to the bed and picked up the paper.

_Charlie, _it wrote. It was a note. I continued reading although it was not meant for my eyes.

_I can't do this anymore.  
I can't pretend to be happy here.  
I can't be caged up here any longer.  
I don't want a family anymore, I want to be free.  
Look after my daughter.  
-Renee._

I re-read the note several times, each time I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces more than the last.

"No!" I screamed. "No Mum, you can't do this to me. To us."

And with that I fell in a crumpled heap upon Renee's bed and wept until my tears ducts were dry.

"Bella?" A male voice called as the rusty hinges of the front door squeaked open. Charlie was home.

He must have heard my dry sobs because before I knew it loud thud pressed against the wooden staircase, and flew into the bedroom I lay a mess in.

"Sweetie? Bella, honey? What's the matter?" He asked soothingly.

I reached out for him as he enveloped me into one of his big bear hugs.

"It's mum." I whispered.

"What's the matter with her?" He asked anxiously. "Has she been in an accident? Is she okay?" His eyes widened in fear.

"No, dad, not like that."

"Well Isabella what is it?" His voice was becoming louder.

I couldn't look him in the eyes, I kept my head hung, note crumpled in my fist.

He'd noticed the white of my knuckles and pried open my fingers gently, stealing the paper from my grasp.

He glanced over the note, swallowed and sighed.

"That's a lot of I's in one paragraph." He said quietly.

He dropped the note on the floor, left the room, left the house, left the driveway and arrived at the pub all the while I sat on his bed, staring into thin air.

Charlie hadn't been the same since then.

We barely spoke.

No more bear hugs.

When he wasn't at home grieving in his chair, watching sport, he was either at the station or at the pub.

After a month of receiving the silent treatment, intentional or not, I needed someone to recognise I was alive.

I needed attention.

Nobody loved me the way I was, so I changed myself.

I cut my waist length curls, into a short wavy style that rested messily upon my shoulders.

My clothes always revealed too much décolletage.

And my new glossy ruby pout helped me catch anybody and everybody's eyes.

"I like, I like." Victoria grinned when she saw me the morning after my self executed makeover. "Who's the lucky guy?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow up.

"No guy. I just got bored." I shrugged.

"And the book?" she asked, referring to paperback that should be pried to my fingertips at this point in time.

"Gone." I clicked my tongue.

"Sweet." She smiled, revealing her million dollar smile. "So, if I invite you to a party tonight, you're not going to be able to turn me down for your lousy books again, are you?" She said slyly.

"Guess not." I said strongly, although inside I was shaking.

"I'll get James to pick you up at seven then." She grinned.

"James?" I said panicked recognizing his name by his reputation.

"Yeah, you know my friend James. The tall, blonde, buff guy." She smiled.

"But he's only a sophomore, like us, he can't drive." I laughed.

She leaned down, resting her elbows on my desk and placed her chin in her palms.

"I never said he could drive legally." She said whispering, glancing around the classroom to see if anybody was paying attention.

They weren't.

The blondes were fussing with their hair and make-up.

The jocks were fussing with their muscles.

And the other misfits, like myself, were chatting and giggling together.

"Oh." I said, swallowing my fear.

"Chill, he's a great driver." She smiled then took her seat to the left of me.

I went to the party that night, had one drink, and woke up at Victoria's house the morning after.

"What happened?" I asked as soon as my eyes opened that morning. I bolted upright and instantly regretted it.

"Weren't you the party queen last night?" Victoria giggled.

"Agreed." A male voice called from the doorway.

It was James.

"I don't remember anything." I said nervously.

"That happens to the best of us." James said.

"I only had one drink though." I refuted. "I could have been drugged!" I gasped, reminiscing the numerous speeches Charlie had given me my first day of high school.

"_Now, when you go to parties take your own water; don't drink anything anyone gives you…" _

Of course I never had been to a high school party before last night.

But how had I been so careless?

"Things happen sometimes Bells! Live it up!" Victoria laughed as she smoothed her red mane down.

She was becoming more beautiful each and every day, and by now she was a completely transformed compared to the first day I met her. Her cheekbones protruded out, her hair had lengthened and she'd finally developed a figure.

Envious of her beauty, I just nodded.

I rolled out of Victoria's double bed and smoothed down my wrinkled skirt and blouse.

"Charlie!" I cried, hands flying to my head.

"Breathe darling! I rang him and said we were having a sleepover!" She said.

"Oh. Okay." I smiled apprehensively.

"That was one hell of a sleepover." James grinned, keeping his gaze on me.

My eyes widened and looked in fear at Victoria who just slipped into a pair of heels. She bit her lip and sprayed on perfume.

"Come on, James is taking us out." She said, taking my hand in hers.

"But it's a school day." I piped up as she pushed me into the bathroom.

"Stuff school, we're young, we need to live our lives." She announced.

I changed to get attention, and attention is what I got.

To this day, I'm still not sure if this was the sort of attention I was looking for.

**A/N: Okay guys, the last chapter was a Prologue to get into the story, raise suspense that sort of thing. **

**From what you read, this chapter marks the beginning of Bella's change from good girl to delinquent. **

**So review, tell me what you think and I'll update soon. **

**Storyteller xx. **


	2. Chapter 2: Lust or Love?

Nothing much happened the month or so after.

Oh, except that I fell in love with James.

After the party I'd always catch him staring at me, as if we shared a secret.

Each time I'd turn a deeper shade of crimson than the last.

"You've got the hots for James, don't you?" Tori pried one afternoon when we skipped last period, PE.

I simply shrugged off her inquiry.

"You do! You're blushing!" She giggled.

I bit my lip and turned to face her on the hill we were perched on down at La Push. The sea breeze whipped against our faces and blew a strand of my short dark hair across my eyes. I pushed the lock behind my ears.

"So what if I do; he'd never have the same feelings for me." I said, looking down at the empty bottle of Coke in my hands.

"Are you kidding! He's wild about you; especially after that party last month." She said quickly and animatedly.

I returned her remark with a soft smile.

She was probably trying to be nice.

"To be honest Tori, I don't really remember much about that party." I shrugged, acting like I didn't care.

"Seriously? Something should have come back to you by now!" She said bemused.

I nodded just the slightest.

"Well I'm sure James with have the courtesy to tell you one day." She smiled softly.

I retuned her smile and looked out to the waves rippling over each other, taking the opposition under their weight.

I was hoping she'd enlighten me with the details of that night, but maybe not telling me was her way of trying to protect me. Protect me from a truth I didn't need to know.

"I'll tell you what;" She began, noticing the gloomy expression I articulated, "I can make James yours."

"How are you going to do that?" I said coolly, although the geek in me was screaming for answers.

"James thinks that girls are like chocolates." She began.

"Chocolates?" I said amused.

"Yep. They are laid out on a platter for him to pick and taste. We need to make you the one chocolate that stands out from all the others, the triple chocolate, caramel swirl, praline delight." She said, using her hands to gesture the scrumptiousness.

"Stop! You're making my mouth water." I laughed.

"That's what I'm trying to do! We need you to be _that_ chocolate." She nodded, approving her own advice.

"How do we do that then?" I challenged.

"Well, this is the tricky part. You can't make yourself seem so… available. He can't just pick you up and toss you in. We need to make him fight for such a delicacy." She said eyes wide.

"Ah! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" I said patronizingly.

"Don't worry B-Dog. I'll make you edible." Tori nodded assuring.

"Thanks Tori, you've made my day." I rolled my eyes.

I did exactly as Tori ordered. One day I played hot, the next cold. One day easy, the next hard to get. She guaranteed I'd seem irresistible but frankly I had no idea what I seemed.

But it worked.

I don't know how or why.

Like they say, it happens when you least expect it.

So there we were; the three of us down at La Push; same spot as the one Tori and I spoke at previously.

Today James had found some alcohol.

After a single drink I was feeling a bit rowdy, Tori and James liked that side of me more so they took advantage of it.

"Come on Bella; I hear the locals love a good party." James coaxed. I was head over heels for him so naturally I'd do anything he suggested.

I raised the bottle to my lips and took a final swig.

The last thing I remembered was taking James hand in mine and running down the steep hill, losing my balance and rolling down laughing; accidently bringing James down with me.

When I awoke we still down the bottom of the hill.

"What happened." I said meekly.

"You're such a klutz!" Tori laughed. "You knocked yourself unconscious falling down a hill." James scowled at her.

"She could have been seriously injured!" He defended.

My heart skipped a beat.

He brushed my hair back, away from my forehead and looked me deeply in the eyes.

"You're getting a bruise there." He gently pressed the tender spot. His fingers were cool and gentle. "Does it hurt?"

It didn't; but Tori was nodding furiously behind us. _Say Yes! Say Yes! _She mouthed.

"Yes." I whimpered.

"Maybe I can make it feel better." He whispered. Lightly, he pressed his lips to my forehead and brushed the hair away from my eyes.

I smiled at him sweetly.

Tori gave me the thumbs up in the background and waggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, Shoot! I think I left my bag up by the main road. I'll be back." Tori exclaimed.

But both James and I knew it was slung around her shoulders.

James leaned forward, as he was going to kiss me, but he just lingered closely to me.

_Make the first move. No, play hard to get. No get it over with! _The little voice in my head argued.

But no, not only am I a klutz I have the worst luck.

The sound of a police siren could be heard in the distance.

"Quick! Some one's made a complaint about minors drinking and behaving rowdy. Dispose of all evidence." Tori laughed from behind us.

"Why are you laughing? We're going to get caught!" I responded panicked. "And I thought you were on the main road _Victoria_." I hissed.

"Chill Bella, we don't get caught. We're too sly for them." James smiled.

"I'll look down here!" A familiar male voice called. It was a Forks policeman; I could see his well-known uniform and stature making his way down the steep hill.

Why was his voice familiar?

"James, the police is just up the hill; one said he was coming down here! Didn't you hear?" I cried.

"Yes I heard!" He shouted, muttering various colourful curses under his breath.

"What do we do?" Tori said, all traces of laughter now gone. "I think we're trapped."

Was it me, or did Miss Victoria Sutherland just sound nervous?

I'd never seen her like this. Her over-confident personality seemed to drain away along with the entire colour in her face.

I looked up to see the police-man. He'd noticed we were here and began running down the hill, gun pointed at us.

"Freeze!" He demanded.

Our hands immediately flew up in our defence.

Now I knew why his voice sounded familiar.

The man recognized me and dropped his gun.

The man was Charlie.

His mouth gaped open and closed, searching for the words.

"Get behind the bush." He encouraged, worriedly.

"See anything down there?" The Charlie's colleague called from the top of the hill.

"Nothing Buck." Charlie called back.

"No luck either, I'll meet you in the car." From under the bush I could get a brief glimpse of the scene playing in front of us. The guy at the top of the hill departed while Charlie began to turn on his heel, making his way back up.

I scuttled out from under the bush and rushed over to the Charlie.

"I'm sorry!" I wept. "Please, Dad, forgive me."

But Charlie ignored me and returned to his co-worker.

Tori padded out from the bush and patted herself down before speaking to me. "Told you, you could get away with anything."


	3. Chapter 3: Turn for the Worst

**Hey guys, what I've done is removed the Prologue and put it as chapter three. You didn't seem to like the whole Prologue thing so maybe this is better. **

**Tell me what you think please!!**

"Lamest. Party. Ever!" I shouted over the blaring dance music, screaming from the owners IPod speakers.

"Well, maybe we can find a way to stir things up." James called out to me, draping his hands around my waist and nuzzling my neck.

I giggled in admiration.

"I think I have an idea." Tory shouted to us, appearing out of nowhere. Her red curls were tangled and her lipstick smudged.

"Where did you come from?" I shouted back.

She pointed out an empty bedroom where a smug looking boy ventured out of. He winked in Tory's direction and she nodded back as she fixed her dress strap.

"My, my Victoria, haven't we been busy?" James smirked. In response Tory merely punched him in the arm. He pretended to wince as she took one of his hands. James reached out with his empty hand to clutch my own.

Tory led us out the front door, into the cool winter air and down the street until we stood directly in front of a shinning yellow Porsche.

"Well this one would go nice with my collection." James noted.

"Up to our old trick again James?" A husky, accented male voice called out to him. My heart skipped a beat, were we sprung?

Confidently James turned around. Before us stood an olive skinned, dark haired male.

"Do you know this guy?" I demanded from James.

His expression read blank until the male came over to us, he was hiding an object behind his back. Tory stiffened behind me, as the stranger revealed a crow bar from behind his back. James smirked and slapped hands with the male.

"Ladies, this is Laurent and he shall be providing tonight's entertainment." James announced. Tory tensed down a bit, smiling alluringly. Boys were her weakness.

"So you're French?" Tory queried, fluttering her dark eyelashes.

"Indeed." He smiled, looking down at her.

"Well then I guess you know a lot about kissing." She bit her lip.

"You are so cliqued." I whispered in her ear as I turned to admire the car further.

"I also know a lot about hot wiring a car." He answered.

Before anyone could object, he struck the crowbar against the driver's window, and I watched in awe as it shattered. He stuck his hand past the shattered glass and pulled the lock up, unlocking the car. Quickly, he opened the door which sent the alarm into full throttle.

I pressed my hands against my ears to block the sound out.

"I call shotgun!" Laurent barked over alarm.

Laurent fiddled around the car for a second up the front hood popped up and James pulled a pair of blades out of his front pocket and sliced at a few wires. The siren seized, but onlookers stood at the front porch of the house, observing our actions.

Laurent slid out of the driver's seat, pulled at a few wires, while James took his seat and yelled at Tory and me to get in.

We quickly glanced at each other, smiling and giggling as we took the back seats of the Porsche.

The car roared to life and Laurent ran around to the passenger seat. James hit the accelerator with both feet, and we sped away, streaking the road with tire marks.

My heart was beating wildly inside my chest, and by the look on Tory's face so was hers. Adrenaline filled my veins, and I panted, catching my breath.

"I call the Frenchman." Tory whispered to me. I smirked and rolled my eyes.

James chuckled to himself in the driver's seat.

"So, which one of the lovely ladies is yours?" Laurent asked James.

"Bella!" Tory cried.

"Whichever one wants to be." James replied suggestively, ignoring Tory's call.

I ignored his chauvinistic comment, believing I was his lovely lady.

***

The four of us were having a ball, laughing, joking; I was on top of the world.

"Hey, look what I have!" I laughed as Tory ceased tickling me. From my large purse I pulled a bottle of champagne.

"Clever girl, where'd you find that?" Laurent smiled proudly.

"Somewhere in the kitchen." I shrugged as I pulled open the cork. The liquid fizzed and spurted. I took a long swig and passed it to Tory.

The alcohol was strong, and with each sip we grew less and less sober.

Thankfully, James was the best driver; he could drive us through anything.

Suddenly, a soothing, soft mist fell onto the windshield but James simply switched the wipers on and continued down the road, taking a swig of the bottle.

Lightning flashed while thunder began to rumble up ahead.

A storm was brewing and we'd driven straight into it.

Fat, heavy raindrops replaced the slight mist.

It was becoming more and more difficult to see out the window, but we trusted James. Laurent, Tory and I laughed and sang, but James was no longer joking around.

I noticed his eyes squinting, trying to see the road. I became concerned, an emotion that hadn't ever really troubled me before so I didn't know how to react.

Only Tory and Laurent were talking now.

James didn't begin to slow down, and I could sense danger lurking.

"I think you need to slow it down." I patted James on the shoulder.

"I'm fine." He growled aggressively. At this point, I remembered my placed and piped down. You don't argue with James.

I sunk back into the cool leather seat and sighed. The adrenaline had died down now.

"Oh my God! James, watch out!" Tory shrieked.

"Shut up Victoria!" James yelled, assuming Tory was joking around. But she wasn't.

A dark figure was growing closer and closer until it collided with the car. The windshield glass shattered, blood stained the crack and the figure rolled over the top of the car.

The four of us cried out in shock.

James immediately slammed on the brakes, sending the car into a skidding frenzy.

Tory clutched my hand tightly. I turned to face her; fear was spread over her pretty complexion.

With James car expertise, he stopped the car, short from hitting a large, strong rooted tree.

The four of us sat their panting, not daring to see what lay outside for us.

James was the one who ventured out of the vehicle. The engine still ran and he left the door wide open so the rain sprayed the interior of the car. The icy water blasted against my skin, but I was too numb from the shock to take it into consideration.

I turned around in my seat to catch a glimpse of him through the back window. He stood over a still body, brushing a hand through his cropped, blonde hair; silently cursing under the dark curtain of night.

I saw him exhale deeply, a fog forming from his cold breath and the wintery air.

I couldn't bear to see him so distraught, so I fled from the car and ran over to him. The cold air hit me with such a force but I ignored it.

Gently, I wrapped my arms around James' waist and leaned against his shoulder.

"It'll be okay." I murmured, the only words of comfort I knew to ease the pain. I titled my head to look at the crumpled body of the person hit.

It was a boy, most likely our age. He laid a bloody mess; his bronze hair reddened deeper by the blood spurting from a gash on his forehead.

"I don't think so." James answered stiffly and slapped my hands away from his waist. He paced back and forth for a minute until I reached down to the boy's back pocket and pulled out a wallet just sticking out.

I flipped around the pockets till I found a drivers license as a source of identification.

"Edward Cullen." I read aloud.

**There are hardly any reviews for this so I don't know if I'm going any good, if you can think of a better summary, please let me know!!**

**Storyteller xx**


	4. Chapter 4: Nightmare

**This one is for , since she's given me so much confidence in my writing.**

**I'm sorry, I know its been a while, i hope with this chapter you can guess where I'm going. **

**So review and let me know what you think.**

* * *

"Oh my God Bella. Can you be anymore stupid? Now that's got your fingerprints all over it!" He growled at me.

I dropped it immediately as if a hot sensation had rippled through my skin.

James scooped the wallet up and stared at the picture.

"I'm going to have to burn this too." He muttered.

"What do you mean by 'too'?" I asked panicked. Surely he didn't mean… the body?

"What do you think?" He said patronizingly.

Desperately, I fell to my knees, and tried to remember the basic first aid steps they attempted to teach us in PE.

"Can you hear me?" I asked the boy as I felt for his pulse.

I got no response for either.

"James, I think we need to call an ambulance, he's losing a lot of blood." I said, frightened.

Blood dripped and soaked the road he lay on.

The smell of rust and salt that combined to make blood made me feel uneasy and nauseous.

Quickly, I pulled my jacket off, and wound it tight around the head wound.

"What's he even doing here? We're in the middle of nowhere!" I cried, searching James' cold expression for a source of comfort.

A source he did not offer.

"Are you a complete idiot!" He shouted. His words made me flinch. "This guy is dead. If we call an ambulance, we get caught. We get caught with a stolen car, alcohol and an illegal weapon."

"Illegal weapon?" I said bemused but unconcerned. "James, I think you're going to have to make a sacrifice here. We can't just leave him to die!" I shouted back at him.

"Isabella, I'm warning you. Get in the car, I'll come back later with Laurent. No one is going to come across this guy right now. Like you said, it's the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere." He growled.

"No!" I said shocked.

He came down hard on me; his slap whipped me hard against my cold cheek. I raised a hand to my face in surprise; I could feel the welt begin to form.

"Get in the car." He said slowly and sternly.

"No." I repeated sterner.

He hit me a second and a third time. But I stayed strong and refused.

"Fine. You leave me no choice." He said simply, and dug from his waistband a sleek, shining black gun.

So that's what he meant about an illegal weapon.

"Get in the car Bella." He said serenely.

I'd frozen in shock and couldn't move from the kneeling position I was in.

A small squeak escaped my mouth just before he threatened a second time.

Numbly, I walked over to the car and slid in the back seat to join sobbing Tori who held me tight.

I could not move, nor could I cry.

James swooped from behind me, slid into his seat and we sped away.

We drove in silence, even the foreign stranger, Laurent, didn't have a smart remark to make.

When James stopped in front of my house, Tori and Laurent had already been dropped off.

"Bella… About tonight." He began, looking down at the wheel.

"Forget it." I muttered.

"No Bella, I'm sorry." He said, insincerely.

"Fine." I shrugged and slammed the door behind me.

***

"So we decided to come home tonight?" Charlie greeted me.

"Get out of my way." I snarled, pushed him aside and thudded up to my bedroom.

"You can't keep this up forever Isabella." He shouted from the bottom of the staircase. "You won't have a home here if you continue to be like this."

"Yes I can, Mum told you to look after me. She'd be pretty disappointed to see how I've turned out, let alone the war that would rage if she found out you threw me out." I shouted down to him and slammed the door.

It was quiet downstairs. That line worked every time.

I slept restlessly. The old Bella would flick the lamp on and find a book. But I wasn't the old Bella; I was the new Bella, bad Bella.

So I looked out the window at the starry night sky, it was soothing an eventually I drifted off into a deep, dark slumber.

***

I dreamt of fire, smoke, melting flesh.

I awoke horrified, splashed my face with cold water and did not sleep another wink that night.

***

We were all murderers; a boy was dead on our hands.

Guilt had swallowed me whole, so I did the old Bella thing and went to school.

Tori found me as soon as I entered the gates. She ran to me, took my arm and steered me into a deserted hallway.

"He wasn't there." She said quickly and horrified.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The boy, his body, it was gone. No traces of blood either." She said anxiously.

My heart sped up; I stared at her horrified and swore.

***

Smoke reeked of James that day at school. He swore he showered, scrubbed as hard as possible, but the smell did not linger off his body.

Tori blamed it on the supernatural. But she only admitted that to me.

***

I returned back to my good girl persona to Charlie's pleasure. I did my homework, I didn't skip class, nor did Tori.

James was different. He didn't have his cocky grin or smart ass comebacks to flaunt off. It seemed he'd lost them. It became apparent Tori and I weren't the only ones who had turned a new leaf.

I wasn't easy around James, his slaps left a red mark, a slight bruise, but it was nothing make up couldn't cover. I was scared of him; I tried to steer clear of him whenever possible.

But I loved him. I knew I had to look past his outburst, it was only the once.

After a week I found myself smiling when James complimented my hair.

After two weeks I found myself laughing when James tried to crack a joke.

After a month, I found his hand in mine as we walked down the hallway to my next class. It was warm and gentle, so different from the rough, strong hands he usually held me with.

But I felt guilty nonetheless. Here I was breathing, smiling. And God knows where a corpse was rotting as a result of my careless actions.

***

It has been months since the accident. My usual F on each report gradually eased its way back to an A.

In a way I was completely numb.

I woke up, went to school, went home, studied then slept. It became my new routine, never any alterations.

Weekends I stayed home, but I never found myself picking up a book. I felt as if I had betrayed literature.

***

Edward Cullen.

The name replayed over and over like the haunting nightmare that possessed my dreams every night.

I never told anyone, but I presumed Charlie knew as my blood curdling screams in the middle of the night could not be rendered unmissed.

Every night I had the same nightmare.

Fire, smoke and melting flesh.

But one particular night, there was an alteration.

Fire, smoke and then, that unforgettable figure walked strongly out of the flames, deeper into the forest. There was so much blood. It glistened off the trees, beautiful in its horrifying glory. And he was content, alive better yet.

Then I awoke, but the screams did not come no matter how hard I tried to force them out.

Where was Edward Cullen?


End file.
